Connect with us

Headline

How Mala Buni Left APC in Debt – Abdullahi Adamu

Published

on

By Eric Elezuo

The crises in the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a dramatic turn on Friday when the party chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, accused the former Caretaker Committee chairman, and Governor of Borno State, Mai Mala Buni, of leaving the party impoverished with a huge debt running into multi-billions of naira, and running the party with no clear cut standard but rather left everyone to do as they wished.

Buni assumed the leadership of the ruling party in June 2020, when the national working committee was dissolved and in its place, a new interim committee was inaugurated with the Yobe governor as as chairman.

The committee was saddled with the responsibility of steering the activities of the party for an initial period of six months and also to prepare and conduct the party’s extraordinary national convention.

During a national executive council meeting held at the state house Abuja on 8 December 2020, the tenure of the interim committee/extraordinary convention committee was extended for another six months. It however, ended up spending 21 months in total.

Adamu made the revelation while recalling with pains the state of affairs of the party when he assumed office in March this year during a media parley in Abuja. The chairman went further to defend his decision to reorganize the party bureaucracy, saying he inherited a very disorganized and rotten workforce as well as a secretariat “where anything goes and everyone was just doing his own thing”.

Shortly on assumption of office, Adamu had on April 22 ordered all departmental directors at the ‘Buhari House’ national secretariat of the party to proceed on indefinite suspension as a result of what was understood as part of cleaning the rot that characterised the Buni-led administration.

On assumption of office on April 1, Adamu had immediately hinted of the possibility of reorganizing the national secretariat while he also embarked on remodelling the party secretariat, relocating his office from the third to the ground floor.

While stakeholders hold the opinion that Adamu’s comments could be seen as a subtle attack at the now rested Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), it is imperative to note that the Committee steered the affairs of the party for close to two years before reluctantly relinquishing position during a special elective national convention in March 2022.

“When we came here, we came to reorganize and reposition the party. You don’t see the party in a state of mess and just because you want to be decent, because you don’t want to offend anybody, you allow the rot that you inherited to go on.

“We came and met the party where people were fixing all manner of things, the legal bill alone was over N7.5 billion. We came to find that here, everybody was like on his own. Everyone was just doing what they wanted to do, no control, no system, no due process and just because you don’t want to be accused of anything, you just allow that kind of thing to go on. I am not that brand. My DNA has terrible allergy for that and I am sure most, if not all of my members in the NWC share in this.

“So, we found the necessity to reorganize the whole place and only God knows the extent of appreciation of the public that we got. Of course, every situation of change has its victims and ours will not be an exception and we didn’t do anything with any bias or prejudice. The main thing is the interest of the party, to reposition it in an election year. We will be abused, we will be falsely accused. Of course, we are humans, I am not saying we couldn’t have made one or two mistakes but the fact of the matter is that there is nothing we have done deliberately just to promote our own feathers.

“Recently, we tried to introduce table payment. We know we don’t have 200 people working here but if you go to the payroll, you have over 200 people. Who are they? How did they come on our payroll? What are they doing for us? What is the nature of their jobs? Where are their letters of appointment? What qualifications do they have? You don’t because you want to avoid negative press and then not do this. We did everything in good faith and I don’t have any qualms about it”, he added.

Adamu said he inherited billions of Naira in debts from his predecessor, stressing that in addition to the legal debt of N7,5 billion, the Buni-led team also left N12.3 million advert backlog.

But the grand promise that Adamu came in with may have caved in within a short while as even the staff audit he promised to execute as regards the report of the exercise which showed an over-bloated workforce has not been implemented despite the committee concluding its assignment several weeks ago. One wonders if the rot has continued.

Adamu also spoke on the lackadaisical attitude of some of the presidential aspirants of the party, who lost to the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the June 8, 2022 Presidential primary of the party at the Eagle Square, saying while they remained members of the party, he could not assess the level of their commitment to Tinubu presidential project. Ever since Tinubu won the presidential ticket, the likes of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and former Transportation Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, have however not shown public commitment to the party’s bid to retain power at the centre. Osinbajo was excluded from the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, while both Lawan and Amaechi were named as advisers.

A former two-term governor of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Adamu assumed the chairmanship of the APC on April 1, 2022 after a long drawn battle to oust the former chairman, who acted in caretaker capacity for close to two years. After the end of his two-term governorship, he became Secretary, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2011, he contested and won the senatorial seat of the Nasarawa West Senate constituency before decamping to the APC.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Headline

Atiku Slams APC over Inflammatory Remarks Against Peter Obi

Published

on

By

For Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, over what he described as inflammatory remarks directed at Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election.

Atiku described Morka’s comments as a “disturbing emblem” of the current administration’s strategy to stifle opposition voices.

He also expressed concern over the prolonged detention of Mahdi Shehu, a prominent government critic, and others, suggesting these actions indicate a shift toward authoritarian governance.

“The choice of words used by the APC spokesperson, particularly the ominous suggestion that Obi has ‘crossed the line,’ reveals an alarming disdain for democratic principles,” Atiku said.

“Such language, rooted in hostility, has no place in a free society where civil discourse and engagement should reign supreme.”

Atiku emphasized the vital role of opposition leaders in fostering accountability and improving governance, arguing that a true democracy thrives on a healthy exchange of ideas.

He expressed alarm over Morka’s statement that Obi should “be ready for whatever comes his way,” calling on the APC to clarify this “chilling threat.”

The former Vice President also condemned the APC spokesperson’s framing of Obi’s calls for constructive engagement, likening them to a lawless “Wild West” scenario.

Atiku described this language as crude and unbecoming of a ruling party, urging the APC to issue a formal apology to Obi and the Nigerian public.

In addition to the remarks against Obi, Atiku highlighted the case of Mahdi Shehu, who remains in detention without clear justification.

He argued that the Tinubu administration’s actions are eroding fundamental freedoms and setting a dangerous precedent.

“If there is anyone who has truly ‘crossed the line,’ it is the Tinubu administration, whose continuous vilification of opposition figures as mere irritants to be crushed is a dangerous precedent,” Atiku said.

The PDP candidate called on Nigerians and the international community to demand an end to what he described as “the stifling of dissenting voices”, warning that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the protection of free speech and opposition rights.

Atiku concluded by urging President Tinubu’s administration to recalibrate its approach to dissent, emphasizing the need for dialogue, engagement, and respect for democratic principles.

Continue Reading

Headline

Mahama Takes Oath of Office As Ghana‘s President, Promises Economic Renewal

Published

on

By

We need a reset of faith — in our country, in our institutions, and in ourselves. You are Ghana, I am Ghana – President John Mahama 

John Mahama was inaugurated on Tuesday as president of Ghana after defeating vice president Mahamudu Bawumia in the December elections, vowing to reset the nation’s economy.

Thousands of jubilant citizens dressed in the red, white, green, and black colours of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) thronged Ghana‘s capital Accra to welcome President John Mahama. They waved flags, blew vuvuzelas, and danced to traditional drumbeats.

The colourful ceremony, attended by several African leaders, including Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Kenyan President William Ruto, was a celebration of democracy and hope for a nation battered by years of economic hardship.

In his inaugural address at the iconic Black Star Square in Accra, Mahama struck an optimistic tone, declaring the day a turning point for Ghana, as it marked the start of his unprecedented second term in office.

“We have endured severe economic hardships, moving from one crisis to another in recent years. But there is hope on the horizon,” he said. “Today marks the beginning of a new opportunity – an opportunity to redefine our governance and economic strategies. Together, we shall reset our beloved nation, Ghana.”

Mahama attributed his 7 December electoral victory, where he decisively defeated Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, to the youth’s demand for change. He pledged to prioritise inclusivity, accountability, and innovation while focusing on critical areas such as economic restoration, governance reforms, and the fight against corruption.

“Your courage to bring change will not go in vain,” Mahama said. “We will focus our initial efforts on four critical areas: economic restoration and stabilisation of the macroeconomic environment; improvement of the business and investment environment; governance and constitutional reforms; and accountability and the fight against corruption.”

Mahama’s vision includes transforming Ghana into a 24-hour economy, leveraging agriculture and agribusiness to stimulate local industries and create jobs.

“This is a patriotic call to action for all of us to participate in building a nation that lives up to its promise, where hope thrives, and dreams become a reality,” he said.

Economic promises

As the crowd at Black Star Square erupted in cheers, Ghanaians looked forward to a new chapter under Mahama’s leadership. His promises of economic restoration and governance reforms have set high expectations, with the coming months expected to test his ability to deliver on his ambitious agenda.

“I am here because I believe President Mahama will bring real change,” says Priscilla Oforiwaa, 32, a trader from Kumasi who attended the inauguration. “We have suffered for too long, and now is the time for a leader who truly understands our struggles.”

For his part, Andrews Brown, a 25-year-old university graduate who has been unemployed for two years, tells The Africa Report he feels positive about this new era.

“The 24-hour economy he promised gives me hope. We need jobs, innovation, and a leader who listens to the youth. I believe President Mahama can deliver.”

Source: The Africa Report 

Continue Reading

Headline

Height of Disrespect: Obasanjo Berates NNPCL over Invitation to Tour PH Refinery

Published

on

By

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has slammed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over the recent invitation extended to him, to tour both Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

Obasanjo reacted to the invitation via a statement issued by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, in which he described the invitation as disrespectful to his office and person.

He argued that the oil company had not sent any formal invitation to him as of Thursday, January 2, 2024.

The NNPCL invitation was sequel to the former president’s doubt on the repairs of the refineries. Obasanjo had in a recent interview on Channels television revealed that although the NNPCL was aware of its inability to effectively manage the national refineries, it rejected a $750 million offer from Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries in 2007, during his administration.

He questioned why NNPC is now working with Dangote, saying,: “Not only will he make it (his refinery) work, he (Dangote) will make it deliver. And whether we announce our own government refineries working or not working, it is like a man who plants 100 heaps of yam and says he planted 200 heaps. After he harvests 100 heaps of yam, he will also harvest 100 heaps of lies.”

Responding to the former president, the corporate communications officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, said the company recently achieved the complete rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PhRC) and Warri Refinery, stressing that the exercise was not the typical Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) of the past but a comprehensive overhaul designed to meet world-class standards.

Soneye went ahead to extend an invitation to Obasanjo to have a tour of the refineries.

In return, Obasanjo’s media aide said: “Is that the right way to invite a former president of the country? Who says Baba has even seen the statement or read the news? It is a total disrespect for the office of the former president.

“Ask the NNPCL that as of January 2, have they written to him? Is there any official letter addressed to him, inviting him to the refinery? It is an absolute insult, and the former president cannot dignify such with a response.”

Continue Reading

Trending